BIOS update failed - dead mobo

uvarvu

uvarvu

uvarvu

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As per title, I tried to update the BIOS on my P5K workstation mobo using asus update but the program failed during the update. The tool prompted me to reattempt the update but it failed every time. In the end I chose to reboot, now the BIOS won't post. I can't even get a display on the screen as the system simply restarts itself over and over. Tried clearing the CMOS but that didn't help.

What options do I have? I've had the mobo under two weeks and I already killed it.

Also, the forum search function seems to have disappeared so I can't search for any similar cases :(
 
M8 never ever use the asus update utility within windows. I have a dead asus commando because of this, and had to fork out for a new P5K Deluxe. Always best flashing the bios with the EZ flash utility. Have you tried to post with the bare minimum components?
 
You have somehow got to get it working or RMA it.
These board do NOT have a removable BIOS chip, so you can't use somewhere like here.

It should be noted that these boards do (must in some cases) like having the CMOS cleared after a flash.
 
I had exactly the same problem with a P5B deluxe / AP Wifi edition last week.

Go to the Asus forum and search there - the amount of dead boards due to that windows update software is unbelievable. Even the forum staff think it should be removed from the download section due to the number of instances.

As Parallax says, NEVER use this software. I was being lazy - had used the EZ flash several times with no probs what so ever - i will not be using anything else i the future.

I tried everything but if its dead and no beeps on start up then RMA it. If you (as im sure you did) followed all the manufacturers instructions to update the BIOS and their software crapped out, its not your fault is it ? I should imaginge given the number of RMAs this software is causing, you shouldnt have any probs.
 
I didnt buy the board from OCUK, but from a competitor - personally I would always start with the (r)etailer before the manufacturer
 
Flashed loads of Asus boards with their own util within windows and never had a problem so you must have been real unlucky.

Strange as the bios backs itself up just put the original driver cd into the drive then hold down alt+f2 or something for it to put the original bios back onto the mobo. This should even work if it does not post according to Asus.
 
There is usually a bios on the driver CD. You could try flashing blind. AS you have reset the CMOS the CD should be the first boot device. Gotta be worth a try.
 
The problem is that the computer restarts over and over at three second intervals or so as soon as I press the power button, the display does not even power on. It doesn't have a chance to scan for boot devices.
 
This is a common problem when using the windows based flash utility.

The prog wipes your BIOS, then fails to re-write it. Errors when you try and reinstall any version of BIOS, so your left in the predicament of rebooting your PC with no BIOS on the board. Or leaving your PC on idefinately.

There is an EZ crash (or some ********) that allegedy is a backup of your BIOS to enable you to reboot in the event of BIOS failure, BUT the handy software wipes all traces of BIOS from your board, rendering it dead.

You can try wiping your CMOS with battery removal and / or jumper reset.
You can dry rebooting with a floppy with a new BIOS on.
You can try rebooting with the boards driver CD with a version of the BIOS on.
You can try rebooting with a flash drive with the BIOS on.
You can try removing the AC power lead for 15 seconds to activate the EZ crash recovery.
You can try these and several other incrasingly unlikely remedies that people of incresing levels of deseration have tried on the Asus forums, but chances are you are in possession of an ex-board.

Shocking TBH and quite frankly not woth the risk - the EZ flash option in BIOS is by far the easier and safer of the options available.
 
Sheesh, woulda though a few cents extra to put a socket instead of soldering the thing would save a lot of hassle for a lot of people.
 
try an ms dos boot floppy without the config sys files
with the bios bin that was on there before the bad flash
worked for me although was an abit board
 
C64 said:
try an ms dos boot floppy without the config sys files
with the bios bin that was on there before the bad flash
worked for me although was an abit board
Click to expand...

But your boot block was intact.
I can possibly write you an AUTOEXEC.BAT tomorrow that will go on a floppy with the BIOS file and flash utility, that just might blind flash it.
 
From Wim's BIOS, Award or AMI? Though as noted, this has failed for others. Just noting for completeness of instructions.

Solution 1: Boot-block BIOS

Modern motherboards have a boot-block BIOS. This is small area of the BIOS that doesn't get overwritten when you flash a BIOS. The boot-block BIOS only has support for the floppy drive. If you have a PCI video card you won't see anything on the screen because the boot-block BIOS only supports an ISA videocard.

Award: The boot-block BIOS will execute an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on a bootable diskette. Copy an Award flasher & the correct BIOS *.bin file on the floppy and execute it automatically by putting awdflash *.bin in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

AMI: The AMI boot-block BIOS will look for a AMIBOOT.ROM file on a diskette. Copy and rename the correct BIOS file on the floppy and power up the PC. The floppy doesn't need to be bootable. You will see the PC read the floppy, after about 4 minutes you will hear 4 beeps, this means the transfer is done. Reboot the PC and modify the CMOS for your configuration.
 
Me heart goes out to you on this one mate.

I trashed an abit aw9d-max board by using abits flash utility in windows and had to fork out for a new board after unsuccesfully trying to reflash the corrupted bios from a floppy using methods mentioned further up this thread.

I was utterly crapping it when i got my new board and had to update the bios(bios 13 to bios 15) but this time i did it with a floppy and it was ok(after trashing the first mobo watching the blocks reprogram while flashing the new mobo in dos was just awful cause i thought somethings bound to go wrong again!.)

I feel your pain and i will never flash a bios in windows again as i always did fine on our old xp pc that has an abit av8 mobo.

Hope you get it sorted soon.
 
Here is an update.

OcUK accepted the RMA and I posted the old board off this morning. I bought a replacement from them which arrived yesterday, this is up and running perfectly with the new BIOS update. This time round I bought a usb flash memory module and ran the update using EZFlash, which was a pleasure to use.
 
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